Advancing CO2 to CH4 conversion: The pivotal role of RuCu alloy in crystalline red phosphorus photocatalysis

Crystalline red phosphorus (CRP), a newly emerging photocatalyst, shows promise for selective CH4 production from CO2 and H2O. Yet, its potential remains largely untapped, particularly in enhancing photocatalytic performance. We address this gap by incorporating RuCu alloy nanoparticles into CRP, significantly boosting its efficiency in converting CO2 to CH4. Advanced analyses demonstrate that the synergistic mechanism between the RuCu alloy and CRP facilitates improved charge separation and expands the availability of active sites, leading to an impressive CH4 yield of 19.7 μmol g−1 h−1. Importantly, the inclusion of Cu in the alloy modifies the catalytic reaction pathways facilitated by Ru, achieving an exceptional CO2 to CH4 selectivity of 96 %. This performance surpasses that of many existing elemental-based and Ru-containing photocatalysts. Our research highlights the potential of functionalized elemental photocatalysts and the importance of alloy composition in photocatalyst design for sustainable CO2 conversion.